Motaz Hawsawi – Showed a good turn of pace to keep pace with Salah on one occasion but then lost him for the goal. 5

Yasser Al Shahrani – Known for his attacking instincts, he showed plenty of enterprise down that left flank and got forward to deliver a few crosses. 6

Abdullah Otayf – Anchored the midfield well, making more passes (115) than anyone else and produced the assist for the dramatic last-gasp winner. 7

Salman Al Faraj – Had a good shot from the edge of the box blocked by Ahmed Hegazy. Produced good delivery into the box to give El Hadary a couple of headers to deal with. Sprayed the ball around well with six key passes and 11 of his 13 long balls finding a team-mate. 8

Hattan Bahebri – Blazed a volley over the bar from inside the area in the second half. Had four attempts in total. Didn’t offer any width. 4

Hussain Al Mogahwi – Produced a good save from El Hadary with a fine header. Had an acrobatic effort late on as well. Was good in possession. 6

Salem Al Dawsari – Showed plenty of pace down the left side. Went on a good run in the first half, beating players through the middle before firing over the bar. Terrorised defenders with his dribbling and scored the all-important winner at the death. 8

Fahad Al Muwallad – Always threatened in behind. Had an early pop at goal that flew wide. Had his penalty saved before winning the second – rather softly – from which Saudi equalised. 5

SUBS

Muhannad Assiri – Came on for Bahbri in the 65th minute and forced a good save from El Hadary when he was allowed a free header from a corner. Otherwise anonymous. 5

Yahya Al Shehri – Replaced Muwallad in the 79th minute and struggled to get involved. N/A

Clubs

Best images as Salem Al-Dawsari's late goal helps Saudi Arabia to 2-1 win over Egypt

Salem Al Dawsari struck an injury-time winner as Saudi Arabia recorded their first World Cup win since 1994 by beating Mohamed Salah’s Egypt 2-1.

Reports of Salah quitting international football dominated the build-up to this dead rubber in Group A but he briefly set the speculation to one side by opening the scoring with his second goal of the competition.

The Pharaohs ended a miserable tournament pointless, though, after a controversial penalty from Salman Al Faraj and Al Dawsari’s dramatic late strike turned the game around.

The two teams came into their final group game having already been eliminated from the competition following defeats to Uruguay and hosts Russia.

Russia are making a mockery of pre-tournament predictions that they could surpass South Africa as the worst performing hosts of a World Cup.

Stanislav Cherchesov’s side came into the tournament as the lowest ranked side in the FIFA rankings, with many already writing them off after a collection of woeful results stretching back to the start of 2017 – just four wins in 16 games.

They ripped up the script on opening night as Saudi Arabia were put to the sword. They backed it up with another swashbuckling performance against Egypt in their second game, a 3-1 win quite unbelievably confirming their presence in the knockout rounds.

But Uruguay was the acid test. And even though the South Americans opened up a 2-0 lead in the first half, the hosts held firm – keeping the Luis Suarez-inspired La Celeste scoreless for much of the second period, despite seeing Igor Smolnikov sent off after just 36 minutes.

No-one expects them to go beyond the last 16 on home soil. But as they dug in and impressed against sterner opposition, they are no longer at risk of exiting as a laughing stock.

SUAREZ AND CAVANI FINALLY JOIN THE PARTY

Uruguay edged to two laborious victories in their opening pair of World Cup fixtures, but they finally showed some flair as Russia were put to the sword.

Suarez fired in a fine free-kick to put his side in the ascendancy early on and Cavani poked home from a corner to notch his first goal of the tournament – his strike a milestone for the Paris Saint-Germain front man as he scored for the first time in a Uruguay win at a World Cup.

The pair are now the only two players to score at three separate tournaments for La Celeste – with the industrious Cavani particularly deserving of his goal after grafting in the first three games.

It’s been a slow start from both Uruguay and their two star men, but with both finally firing they will pose a dangerous prospect for any side in the last 16.

LAXALT LEADS LIST OF EXALTED YOUNG LA CELESTE STARS

The dreadlocked Diego Laxalt is congratulated by his teammates.

On a night when goalkeeper Fernando Muslera became the latest member to join Uruguay’s exclusive 100 Club, it was players very much in the embryonic stages of their international careers that were grabbing the headlines.

The cornrowed Laxalt, winning just his eighth cap, was deadly. He fired in – albeit fortuitously – his first La Celeste strike, while lung-bursting runs tempted Russia right-back Smolnikov into a diabolical lunge that earned the Zenit Saint Petersburg player a deserved second yellow.

Elsewhere, Juventus’ Rodrigo Bentancur really should have joined him on the scoresheet, wasting a glorious goalscoring opportunity but further raising his reputation on his third start and 10th cap.

Nahitan Nandez, meanwhile, led his side with three tackles on his 15th outing, while Lucas Torreira’s three interceptions in just his sixth cap also led Uruguay.

All four have a combined age of 90. Six of their colleagues have 100 caps or more (Suarez, Cavani, Cristian Rodriguez, Diego Godin, Maxi Pereira and Muslera).